railfuture RAIL USER EXPRESS 29 May 2011

Welcome to this edition of Rail User Express. Please support

Britain’s number one As always, feel free to forward RUEx to a colleague, or to reproduce advocate for the items in your own newsletter (quoting sources). If you want further details railways and rail users! of any of the stories mentioned, look on the relevant website or, failing that, get back to me so I can send you the full text. For details about group We begin with a roundup of news from rail user groups around the affiliation to Railfuture, UK. I‟m grateful to RUGs that send me their magazines and bulletins. contact David Harby

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GUEST RAIL USER GROUP OF THE MONTH Action Rail Monifieth contact Following my recent enquiry to this group in the Tayside area of Scotland, their Secretary, Councillor John Whyte, kindly replied with some background information about ARM: “The local rail service in and around Dundee is amongst the worst in the UK, far less just us in Scotland! Currently, Invergowrie and Monifeith have just two stopping trains a day(!!) and Broughty Ferry has three stopping trains. The population denied an adequate train service between Monifieth and Broughty Ferry is over 25,000! If this situation were replicated in any other similar area, anywhere in the UK, it would not be tolerated! “ARM is active in trying to get Network Rail, Transport Scotland and First ScotRail fully on board with this lousy rail service and is meeting with some success. Officers from TACTRAN, the regional transport partnership, are doing a first rate job in pushing for the Tay Estuary Rail Study (published about 8 years ago) to be implemented, which will create an hourly stopping service between Perth, Invergowrie, Dundee, Broughty Ferry, Monifieth, Carnoustie and Arbroath.”

…we continue with news from our regular contributors…

Friends of the Far North Line website A letter reproduced on page 2 of the group‟s newsletter “Far North Express” reckons that only a political spin doctor could have dreamt up the newsletter‟s title, since the line suffers from one of the slowest services in the land! As the campaign to reopen Conan Bridge station takes a major step forward with news that Network Rail is to begin detailed design work, there‟s a setback in the campaign for an hourly service between Inverness and Tain – Transport Scotland says it cannot take the proposals forward because those campaigning had not provided a business case (FoFNL would therefore like to hear from anyone with the necessary expertise and finance). After submitting its response to the Scotland Route Utilisation Strategy back in November, FoFNL has submitted a supplementary paper dealing with the imperative to speed up journey times; the group concludes that the introduction of both multiple aspect signalling and modern motorised points are needed – these together would improve reliability, ease speed restrictions and unlock further schemes such as new passing loops. Finally, a correspondent to Far North Express reminds us that this month marks the 50th anniversary of the last issue of Bradshaw‟s Guide and Hotel Directory – from the publication on his desk (priced 12s-6d), he quotes some of the fascinating paragraphs relating to the north of Scotland, including intricate rules about onward travel by bus from Wick.

POSTCARDS of the WEST HIGHLAND LINES A new set of four postcards, evoking journeys on the West Highlands Lines, have been produced jointly by ScotRail, HITRANS and Friends of the West Highlands Lines. Each full-colour postcard is A5 size (21x15cm). The set of four can be obtained by post from Glenfinnan Station Museum, Station Cottage, Glenfinnan, Inverness-Shire PH37 4LT. Price: £2 per set incl postage. Anyone travelling on the West Highland Lines is presented with a free postcard, with the expectation that they will send it on to a friend and thereby spread the word about the grandeur of the routes. I’m happy to promote fund-raising merchandise offered by rail user groups. Simply send me the details! – Ed

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Dornoch Rail Link Action Group website In the run up to the Scottish Parliamentary elections, DORLAG urged its supporters to raise the issue of rail investment with candidates standing for election, especially as railway services are a devolved issue for Scotland. The group argues that improvements in the rail link to Caithness are vitally necessary, in terms of capacity increases and journey time reductions, to help develop major green tidal power resources, adding: “It is absurd that major tidal energy and West of Shetland oil/ gas developments should be undertaken without major commensurate improvements to the rail line to the area where this action is going to happen. The Dornoch Rail Link is the key component of such an upgrade.”

Rail Action Group, East of Scotland website Following the publication of the new (Eureka) timetable for the East Coast Main Line starting in May, RAGES‟ chairman wrote to East Coast with a list of concerns about the service levels for Dunbar and Berwick (the detailed response from the train operator is reproduced in the RAGES newsletter). Passenger counts have been undertaken by RAGES members for some of the threatened services. In addition, the group feels it is somewhat strange in this environmentally aware era to be withdrawing electric trains and replacing them with diesels under the wire [carry on reading below for news of those missing electric units! – Ed].There was a further opportunity to quiz East Coast managers about the new timetable following an invitation to sample the company‟s new first class on-board service. Now they are in possession of the Eureka timetable, the consultancy looking into the practicalities of reopening stations at East Linton and Reston hopes to reach “substantive conclusions” shortly (late news: their report is now with Transport Scotland and RAGES will be requesting a copy). In separate news, we read that the Haddington rail reopening proposal was given a good airing at a special meeting, and the favoured approach is to fund a “technical feasibility study”, this being more cost effective than a full-scale appraisal which could prove abortive.

Aire Valley Rail Users’ Group website AVRUG is pleased that Northern Rail has been granted a 2 year extension, as it reflects the generally excellent quality of the local train service. However, in its Spring newsletter, the group does address the question of insufficient Class 333 electric units on their line before concluding that it‟s up to stakeholders to make the case for greater investment, for example by lobbying MPs and pointing out the benefits of rail for the environment, social inclusion and the regional economy. At the end of the newsletter, the editor takes great delight in being able to include a “Stop Press” announcement of extra electric units being moved to W Yorkshire for use on Northern Rail services; these redundant Class 322 units formerly ran between Edinburgh and N Berwick [so that’s where they went! – Ed]. Elsewhere, we read that station adopters at Saltaire have been pressing for action to reduce the large stepping distance between platform and trains, and have been promised that work to reduce the gap will start shortly. The guest speaker at AVRUG‟s AGM on 7 May was Stanley Hall, the well-known railway author and expert on signalling and rail safety.

Ribble Valley Rail website RVR‟s Silver Jubilee events programme kicked off with a well-supported slide show and a behind-the- scenes tour of the National Railway Museum at York – still to come: a trip on a steam railway and an outing to Carlisle which will include a celebratory lunch. The news that platforms on Ribble Valley Line stations are to be lengthened this year is greeted with a wry comment: “this will no doubt make more work for Friends of Station groups!” A report from one of the stations on the line praised the British Transport Police who had dealt with every incident that was reported to them. There‟s news that people are visiting the RVR website at the rate of nearly 200,000 per year, with many from overseas. In a feature article reviewing the benefits to RVR of being a member of the line‟s Community Rail Partnership, Vice Chairman Marjorie Birch mentions improvements to the rail service and resources available for the wider community before concluding: “There is a commitment from all members of the partnership including ourselves to meet on a regular basis to discuss the current issues on the line and work towards finding solutions. It is always better to be on the inside taking part in discussions than being informed once the decision has been made; Ribble Valley Rail‟s contribution, as representatives of the local community, bring to the table that specific knowledge we hold regarding the needs of our community.”

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Support the Oldham-Rochdale-Manchester Line Group (STORM) There has been much correspondence in STORM’s electronic newsletter recently about fare anomalies. Here are some quotes from three contributors: “Although ATOC‟s Routeing Guide is not the easiest document to use, it can be downloaded from their website: http://www.atoc.org/about-atoc/rail-settlement-plan/routeing-guide. It‟s worth having it on your PC although, as the Chairman of the relevant ATOC Committee when it was introduced, I still find it a rather difficult product. In my defence, I must point out that the experienced railway fares experts at the time of privatisation argued against its introduction but the ORR insisted we have one.” “The whole situation [with regard to fare anomalies] is barmy. When I have a couple of hours free I am going to put together a report on this for Halifax and District Rail Action Group which will be going to Northern, TPE and anyone else relevant that I can think of.” “Remember the only way is up! Some years ago the rail industry were asked to simplify the fare structure … if you look at what happened when the fares were simplified by ATOC, the result was an increase in fares, changes in time restrictions etc. For example, before the simplification you could get a First Class Saver with an OAP Railcard and travel during the peak - that was withdrawn. Elsewhere, the industry has been advised of fares anomalies and the low fares have been increased to counter the problem. The moral is, don't push to remove fares anomalies if overall passengers benefit from knowing they exist. A barmy saving is better than a logical fare increase!"

North Cheshire Rail Users’ Group website NCRUG‟s secretary is sorry to report that the project to reinstate the for regular passenger use has “fallen into the abyss caused by a lack of serious funding.” He continues: “Perhaps we should temporarily shift our campaigning towards trying to persuade the Treasury to make more local transport funding available so that projects such as the Halton Curve can go ahead. Local transport needs would be met more quickly and the „Big Society‟ would be seen to be working!” The group invites you to join them on a “parliamentary train” special run over the Halton Curve from Chester to Liverpool South Parkway on Sat 4 June; tickets can be bought on the day, and return is by vintage bus. NCRUG considers Helsby station must be one of the least accessible on the network due to very low platforms and lack of a step-free route between platforms – they wish the local council every success in their bid for a platform hump (the council‟s bid also covers customer information screens at both Helsby and Frodsham). NCRUG has long hoped that a use could be found for the derelict station building at Frodsham; now there‟s welcome news that Network Rail plan to refurbish the building making it suitable for letting. The new “Friends” group at Ellesmere Port station are reported to be busy tending the gardens; they‟ve mounted a display of heritage posters showing the station through the ages, and station will soon be transformed by artwork produced by local scholars.

Mid Cheshire Rail Users’ Association website MCRUA hails the installation of platform humps at Northwich as a great achievement: “These humps are already making a big difference for those who struggle to get on and off trains at Northwich due to the difference in height between the train and the platform of around two feet” (although the local rep reports that not all trains seem to be stopping at the correct places and it‟s hoped Northern Rail will address this issue). Another achievement has been the publication of a booklet entitled “Rail Walks around Knutsford”, funded by The National Lottery – MCRUA was involved in the production and members tested out the walks. The group is looking to see if it can get funding for two more booklets covering other parts of their line. The Community Rail Partnership officer reports that, over the last quarter, 16 volunteers recorded a total of 575 hours litter picking, weeding, bulb planting, updating notice boards, monitoring rail replacement services, distributing timetables etc. (other volunteer time went unrecorded). MCRUA‟s North Eastern Express railtour on 7 May was a great success, with many passengers joining at South (the Friends of Reddish South were paid a commission on ticket sales!). Music trains on the Mid Cheshire line will be running every Weds evening until November, with some extra afternoon trains thrown in for good measure. Elsewhere in MCRUA‟s Mid Cheshire Rail Report newsletter, we read that the group has negotiated a 10% discount for its members at a café on Altrincham station, and there‟s a campaign at Acton Bridge station to get the car park extended.

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Shrewsbury-Chester Rail Users’ Association contact SCRUA celebrates its 25th anniversary in May 2011. It all began at a public meeting held in Oswestry library in the spring of 1986. The idea of forming a Users‟ Association was prompted by the Railway Development Society at a time when it was generally felt that all was not well on the Shrewsbury- Chester line. The last 25 years have seen great change and so much for the better; from a very run- down, basic service SCRUA has seen its major goal of an hourly service achieved. It is very much regretted that 2011 began with news of the demise of the Wrexham & Shropshire rail service to Marylebone. The second blow has been the 45% hike in the day return fare to Birmingham on the 08.03 service from Gobowen, caused by the 6% overall fare rise coupled with the train operator‟s decision to extend the definition of the morning peak period. The Friends of Gobowen Station, in association with the local Community Rail Partnership, were pleased to be able to hand over a cheque for £375 recently to the Oswestry Branch of Leukaemia & Lymphoma research. The money was raised during the Christmas Café at the station and from the sale of second hand books since then. In his valedictory article, the retiring editor of SCRUA‟s newsletter “Severn Dee News” says that he hopes that the copies of SDN, which have been committed to libraries and archives, will produce useful material for researchers to consult in years to come [that’s an initiative other newsletter editors may like to consider - Ed].

Stourbridge Line User Group website Earlier in the year, two members of the SLUG committee met their local MP to discuss shortcomings with the current rail service and aspirations for future development – the MP undertook to investigate the various issues and has since reported back to the group. When confronted with the proposed cuts to opening hours of ticket officers on the network, SLUG raised a number of concerns including: fare evasion, security at stations and the fact that only a minority of local stations have ticket vending machines. Elsewhere in the spring newsletter, we read that a Super Off-Peak Return is considerably cheaper than a single ticket for local evening travel. Until recently, there was no railcard discount, but this is something SLUG took up with London Midland with the result that the discount is now available. In philosophical mood, SLUG‟s Chairman makes the point that, in an ideal world we‟d have a 100% user-friendly railway and there wouldn‟t be any need for the Stourbridge Line User Group … However, “In the real world, the passenger needs the support of organisations such as SLUG, Railfuture and Passenger Focus. We are able to convey the comments of rail users to representatives of London Midland and who attend our bi-monthly committee meetings and our annual public forum. The train operators engage with SLUG because they value feedback from their users. Consequently, being a member of SLUG makes it a more user-friendly railway!”

Cotswold Line Promotion Group website In the last edition of Rail User Express, I mentioned CLPG‟s campaign for extra trains to Worcester from September 2011. Chairman, John Ellis, subsequently wrote to me with a slight correction: “It is not quite true that there are no extra trains between Worcester and London in the post redoubling timetable. There is one extra, and three from Moreton in Marsh. However Worcester is still way short of the regular hourly service which is our objective.”

Peterborough-Ely-Norwich Rail Users website PENRUG reports that, from the new timetable date in May, there should be more seats on a number of trains from Birmingham and from Stansted Airport. The group has been involved with consultations at Ely Station about what improvements are needed. At a focus group meeting, the suggestions which gained the highest number of votes included: improved bus access, alleviate booking hall congestion and better separation of cars, cycles and pedestrians in the forecourt. PENRUG has also commented on plans for the redevelopment of Thetford station - they want to see better use of the station buildings, longer opening hours for the toilets and waiting room, and extra car parking space.

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A representative from March reports on a “crisis week” in which the station booking hall has not been staffed, the ticket machine has been out of use and, to add insult to injury, inaccurate messages have been posted about how to purchase tickets.

East Suffolk Travellers’ Association website ESTA has campaigned for more than two decades for the provision of a passing loop at Beccles allowing an hourly service between Ipswich and Lowestoft – now with the very welcome announcement that Suffolk County Council has agreed to contribute £1m, the scheme should be completed as part of next year‟s line resignalling. In the meantime, ESTA is concerned at the levels of vandalism at Beccles Station, and is arguing for CCTV to be fitted; the group is also supporting the efforts of the newly-appointed station adopter. Elsewhere, we read that car parks have been extended at Wickham Market and Melton stations; that‟s another improvement for which the group had campaigned. ESTA members are continuing to send in their completed questionnaires about having to change trains at Ipswich – around 50% say the situation is unsatisfactory, although the train operator has provided extra staff to assist passengers. Forthcoming dates for members to note include: manning a stall at Woodbridge Regatta (19 Jun), a sponsored cycle ride to raise funds (30 Jul) and entering a float for Aldeburgh Carnival (Aug 15).

Felixstowe Travel Watch website Noting that the 3 short-listed bidders for the Greater Anglia franchise do not include the incumbent operator, the FTW Chairman thinks the short length of the franchise being offered will present a “great challenge” for the new operator (who will be announced in October). In the meantime, the May 2011 timetable change has resulted in an earlier Sunday train from Ipswich, which was something FTW had argued for. FTW will be mounting their public transport information stall on the concourse of a local superstore on Sat 4 Jun and on a further Saturday later in the year. The group‟s tour programme for 2011 is well under way with bookings being taken for visits to a variety of destinations including the Bure Valley Railway, Audley End House and the Houses of Parliament.

Meldreth, Shepreth & Foxton Rail User Group website Foxton residents were concerned about vehicles abusing the level crossing, and County Councillor Susan van de Ven was able to obtain a breakdown of level crossing crimes across Cambridgeshire for the previous year from British Transport Police. The stats clearly show that Foxton has the most abused level crossing by far. The County Council will be meeting with Network Rail to discuss if it can be replaced with a bridge. Work on station gardens has now begun in advance of the Rail Stations birthday parties on July 9th. At Meldreth Station, the Primary School is leading the creation of a vegetable garden, and a planting day for Foxton Station flower tubs will take place at Foxton School in June. Village clubs and local businesses are being invited to provide or sponsor a tub of flowers for the station platforms.

Ass’n of Public Transport Users (Herts) website After publication of the Passenger Focus national passenger satisfaction survey, APTU notes that passengers in their area have the dubious honour of travelling on the route with the lowest satisfaction score (72%) operated by the company with the lowest score (76%). The MP for St Albans had obtained a split of delay sources from Network Rail which shows that 58% of delays are down to NR, 28% to First Capital Connect and 13% to other operators (FCC have since published Public Performance Measure figures for March and April which show a marked improvement).

South Hampshire Rail Users’ Group website SHRUG continues to press for a better service for Totton, citing the size of the population and the fact that further growth is planned; the group adds: “Stagecoach (owner of South West Trains) has never served the Southampton area well…the company sold Southampton‟s bus station, closed the city‟s busy travel centre and downgraded rolling stock on the Southampton main line.” At a South West Trains Passengers‟ Panel meeting in Winchester a representative from SHRUG pointed out that “there are excellent travel centres at rail stations from Brighton to Inverness, but not on SWT.

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Southampton Central, which serves multi-ethnic and large Polish communities, not to mention 40,000 university students, certainly merits one.”

…next, news from Railfuture…

RAILFUTURE RESPONDS TO McNULTY REPORT Railfuture gave a cautious welcome to Sir Roy McNulty's report on railway efficiency which was published on 19 May 2011. "Improving efficiency in the rail network is obviously in everyone's interests," said Railfuture chairman Mike Crowhurst. "We are very happy that we are not looking at Beeching mark 2. However, we do have some concerns. “First, are these efficiency savings going to rely on cutting staff? Efficiency savings should mean providing the same level of service at lower cost, but there are proposals to cut staff at some stations. These staff provide a valuable service in ensuring a safe environment, helping people to buy the right tickets and reducing fare evasion. "Allowing train operating companies to manage track has some obvious advantages in terms of coordinating investment and maintenance. However we are concerned that this could lead to the squeezing out of other operators who use those lines, particularly freight operators. It seems that we could be looking at a geographical fragmentation of the rail network, and fragmentation is one of the causes of increased costs. "We would welcome any simplification of the fare structure, but allowing companies more freedom to set fares looks like giving more freedom to put fares up and price off demand. Rail fares will already be going up next year at 3% above inflation. This only has the effect of driving more people on to the roads, and is not a satisfactory substitute for more long-term investment to increase capacity. "We are in danger of managing passengers to meet the needs of the railway rather than managing the railway to meet the needs of passengers."

RAILFUTURE FIGHTING FUND Railfuture Branches and affiliated Rail User Groups are invited to apply for grants from the Railfuture Fighting fund. The Fund currently holds around £20,000, which has been accrued from donations, appeals and the annual draw. Proceeds can be used in support of promoting the railway, campaigns for reopening or building new lines and stations, preserving closed lines for future use, and in support of campaigns against major reductions in services or railway closures. Typical awards are between £100 and £500. For further details and an application form, click here.

RAILFUTURE RESPONSE TO HS2 CONSULTATIONS The Chairman of Railfuture‟s Network Development Committee, Ian McDonald, is busy coordinating the society‟s response to the Government‟s consultation on so that a single, coherent submission can be made by the July deadline. If anyone has a specific point that they would like to bring to the attention of the committee, they should contact [email protected] (or by post to 10 Douglas Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 8ES; not by phone please) no later than Friday 10 June to ensure it receives due consideration. Thank you.

RAILFUTURE HIGH SPEED RAIL CONFERENCE, BLETCHLEY Railfuture‟s public conference on this year's hot topic: High-Speed Rail will be held at Bletchley Park on Sat 9 July 2011 from 11:00 to 16:30 (doors open 10:00). Bletchley Park is just five minutes' walk from Bletchley station and is the historic site of secret British code breaking activities during WW2. The cost of attendance at the conference, which includes a buffet lunch and a conference report, is £25 for members and £30 for non-members. Confirmed speakers are:  Graham Nalty, Railfuture – Network Development Committee  Stephen Joseph or Richard Hebditch, Campaign for Better Transport  Lizzie Williams, a leading campaigner against HS2/Founder of STOPHS2  Jonathan Tyler, Passenger Transport Networks (researcher for Greengauge 21). The Institution of Railway Operators (IRO) will be exhibiting at the conference. There will be significant time allocated for a public discussion.

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RAILFUTURE RAIL USERS’ CONFERENCE 2011, MANCHESTER Railfuture's 2011 Rail Users' Conference will be held in the Mechanics Institute in central Manchester (the birthplace of the TUC) on Sat 5 Nov 2011. The cost will be £25, which will include a finger buffet lunch, refreshments and a conference report. There is an early bird price for Railfuture members only of £20 if your booking is received before 31st July.

EUROSTAR SURVEY – volunteer “mystery shoppers” needed! Railfuture's International Committee is undertaking a major passenger survey and mystery shopper exercise on Eurostar services from 1 Jun to 30 Sep 2011. As part of the survey the committee needs a number of rail users in different parts of the country to make one or two short phone calls (to NRES, Eurostar, Traveline, Deutsche Bahn and Raileurope) to see how easy it is to obtain information on times and fares. If you would be willing to take part in this exercise, please email Trevor Garrod as soon as possible. If your rail user group would like a pre-written article about this project for inclusion your newsletter please email Chris Brown.

PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPE-WIDE JOURNEY PLANNER The European Commission has been consulting various bodies on its plans to introduce an international journey planner, and Railfuture has taken the opportunity to submit comments based on circumstances in the UK and the various studies into cross-border travel undertaken by its International Committee. The Railfuture submission stresses the importance of providing impartial advice in advance of making the actual ticket purchase, with due regard for people with mobility difficulties, adding that there should be up to the minute information about disruptions so that passengers can make informed choices about alternative routes. In its submission, Railfuture also suggests practical ways in which the project can be taken forwards, emphasising that the ultimate aim should be to make organising an international journey by public transport as easy as planning a trip by car.

RAILFUTURE MEET WELSH ASSEMBLY MEMBERS On 22nd March, three representatives of Railfuture Wales/Cymru had a very constructive meeting with three officials of the Welsh Government rail team at Parc Cathays. Various subjects were discussed including the „Rail Wales‟ plan that Railfuture Wales/Cymru had submitted and the electrification scheme for the Valley Lines.

…and now other news…

ONWARD TRAVEL POSTERS – you need to check the information is accurate at your station! One outcome of the Better Stations review undertaken by Chris Green and Sir Peter Hall was the need to improve the standard of information delivery at stations across England. In respect of this, two projects have been commissioned by the “Passenger Information Strategy Group” at National Rail Enquiries to improve the standard of information delivery. The Group includes representatives from all train operators, Network Rail, National Rail Enquiries and Passenger Focus. The first project is „Information Zoning‟. This will see each station in England divided into four distinct “Information Zones”: (i) Welcome Zone, (ii) Ticket Zone, (iii) Train Zone and (iv) Onward Travel Zone. The second is to produce a consistent suite of Onward Travel Posters for display in the Onward Travel Zones. This will ensure that stations have consistent onward travel information, comprising a street map, bus info, &etc. The Onward Travel Poster project has been delivered over the last six months and is now almost complete - there are a few stations whose posters are outstanding, usually because there are major works going in the vicinity. The intention is that posters will be updated at least annually at the time of service changes. Train Operating Companies are also able to request intermediate updates during the year if required. An Onward Travel Poster appeared at Wool Station a few weeks ago, and a colleague in our Friends of Wool Station group alerted me to a few errors. I immediately emailed the contact address given at the foot of the poster ([email protected]) and the poster team kindly sent me the Wool poster as a PDF file enabling me to check it thoroughly at home. An updated poster miraculously appeared within a few days of sending in my comments. Thanks guys! --- So the message is: check your station now and report any errors!!! ---

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I’m indebted to Information Development Manager, Kathryn Daniels, for supplying details of the Travel Poster project. Kathryn suggests that we send positive comments to the travel poster team as well as pointing out mistakes, and I’m certainly happy to give them due credit for making life a bit easier for public transport users!

FAIR FARES NOW – rail user groups are especially invited to back CBT’s campaign! Fair Fares Now is a new campaign from Campaign for Better Transport calling for more affordable rail fares and a simpler ticket structure. The campaign aims to give a voice to passengers frustrated with rising fares and poor service levels, and hold the government to account over its promise of „fair pricing for rail travel‟. There are two ways you can help: 1) The campaign‟s success depends on the support and involvement of passenger groups such as yourselves, so please consider joining the ever-growing list of national and local organisations who are backing the campaign (see www.fairfaresnow.org.uk/who-we-are). 2) The CBT has recently worked with a group of MPs to table a parliamentary motion calling for fairer fares; please write to your MP and ask them to sign the motion, and circulate the details to members of your local group. All details here: http://www.bettertransport.org.uk/take_action/train-fares-edm. If you have any questions or want to support the campaign, please call 020 7566 6486 or email [email protected]. – thanks to Alexandra for writing to us about this

COMMUNITY RAIL AWARDS 2011 – if you don’t enter, you can’t win! Entries are rolling in for the 2011 Community Rail Awards competition organised by the Association of Community Rail Partnerships. You may submit as many entries as you wish in the 16 categories. Entry is free, and the winner in each category receives a trophy, a cash prize and a certificate. Submit your entries now – the closing date is 24 June! Prizes will be awarded at the Gala Dinner in Sheffield City Hall on Sat 23 Sept 2011.

NEWS ON THE WEB Read Sir Roy McNulty‟s study into Value for Money in the Rail Industry here: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/strategyfinance/valueformoney/realising-the-potential-of-gb-rail/ The Dept. for Transport has just published research into public awareness and attitudes towards High Speed Rail. Read it here: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/pi/highspeedrail/proposedroute/high-speed-rail-survey/ A draft Invitation to Tender document for the InterCity West Coast Franchise has been published on the Dept. for Transport website here: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/passenger/franchises/InterCityWest/InterCity-West-Coast-Franchise- draft-tender-invitation/ Network Rail recently posted Route Plan updates on their website pending a full revision in the autumn; see: http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/4451.aspx

LOCAL SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT FUND In the first round of bidding for the Local Sustainable Transport Fund the Department for Transport received 73 bids from across England. Successful bidders will be told at the end of June 2011. The deadline for expressions of interest in the second tranche of funding and for large projects is 6 June 2011. – DfT update

RE-OPENED RAIL LINE BETWEEN STAFFORD AND TELFORD? Rail chiefs in Shropshire have unveiled ambitious £230 million plans to re-open the Telford to Stafford railway line creating a direct link from Shrewsbury to London in under 2 ½ hours. Shropshire, Telford & the Marches Strategic Rail Group has voted to lobby the government to back its bid to fill the gap left when the Wrexham and Shropshire Railway ceased operating in January. The group, which includes members of Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Herefordshire councils, believes that there is no room for expansion at Birmingham New Street and that a route via Stafford is the quickest, cheapest and most realistic option for re-establishing a direct link to the capital.

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The rail group wants stations at Donnington, Newport and Gnosall to be re-established along a dual line that would roughly follow that which existed until the 1960s. Members have travelled in a bus along the potential route and were pleasantly surprised by the lack of work that would be needed, with only a small detour required at new houses in Donnington. They have already held meetings with Network Rail and Association of Train Operating Companies about the proposals. - Stafford Railway Circle website.

TRAINS RETURN TO OSWESTRY Trains were running from Oswestry Station over Easter for the first time since 1967. Organisers say the new Cambrian Heritage Railways service may only be half a mile in length but represents a huge step forward in the eventual aim of seeing trains operating from the main line in Gobowen, as far as Llanyblodwel – a distance of 8 ½ miles. Nigel Davies, chairman of Cambrian Heritage Railways, said: “This is a momentous day for both the Cambrian Heritage Railways and Oswestry itself. Everyone can now come along and enjoy all the hard work that has been on-going almost out of site behind the Station Building over the past 12 months or so. It is a testament to the voluntary effort as well as that of our Imagematch-sponsored workforce and something they should all be justly proud.” Passenger services from Oswestry ceased as a part of the of the mid 1960s and the platform at the station was partly demolished in the late 1980s to allow freight traffic to pass through. This ended in 1988 and the line has remained out of use ever since. – Shropshire Star

ASK FOR A CIV TICKET IF TRAVELLING ON EUROSTAR Many rail users will be aware that it is possible to book through rail tickets from major towns in Great Britain to major destinations across the Channel. The advantage of a „through ticket‟ is that onward connections are guaranteed if the service is delayed. However, many passengers choose to purchase their connecting tickets independently as good deals can often be found. If they do, there is generally no guarantee of onward connections when delays occur. There is, however, a little known method of ensuring the onward connection yet getting a decently priced ticket. One needs to book from the GB town to „London International (CIV)‟. CIV stands for Conditions Internationales de Vente and is the necessary guarantee of onward travel to and from Europe. These tickets can be purchased at your local station ticket office provided the passenger shows either the pre-booked Eurostar ticket or tour group confirmation that one will be provided. If the CIV ticket is booked as far ahead as possible (normally 12 weeks) some good deals can be had, even for travel at peak times. Railcard discounts apply. An added bonus is that inner London tube travel is included. - David Butterworth writing in Ribble Valley Rail News

RAILWAY ART AND LITERATURE – your help is requested Paul Salveson writes to say he will be giving a talk on „Railway Art and Literature‟ to the Retired Railway Officers‟ Society in London on 6 Jun. It will focus on the many excellent, but largely forgotten, poets, novelists and musicians who worked on Britain‟s railways. Paul is hoping to publish a booklet about the „mess-room poets‟ later this year. If anyone knows of railway workers whom Paul could add to the list, please let him know. He adds: “I‟m discovering new ones all the time, such as Bob Bonnar, Thornton (Fife) driver and union activist who wrote at least two novels.”

ODD POINTS FROM RUG NEWSLETTERS Former Passenger Link Manager, Simon Pickering, from Passenger Focus Wales has moved on to take up a post with the Welsh Assembly Government where he is now Head of Rail Franchise. – from Severn-Dee News ScotRail‟s Club 55 ticket offer has been reintroduced and runs until 30 June 2011. Travel anywhere in Scotland for £18 return. – from Far North Express The “Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority” became the “Transport for Greater Manchester Committee” as from 1st April. One consequence of the change could be greater political support for the Leigh Guided Busway, which “Transport for Greater Manchester” (the new name for GMPTE) is still planning to build despite much local opposition and the fact that the Cambridge Busway scheme is several years late and many millions over budget. We hope that the “new regime” is as willing to meet rail user groups as its predecessor was. – from Mid Cheshire Rail Report

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The chairman of the Whythenshawe Railway Action Group is delighted that a new station at Baguley has been included in Manchester‟s Local Transport Plan (LTP3). – from Mid Cheshire Rail Report

EVENTS National rail events are highlighted in yellow. Community/sustainability events are highlighted green.

Sat 4 Jun DORLAG AGM at the Pentland Hotel, Thurso from 11:15. Sat 4 Jun NCRUG/Northern special Parliamentary Train excursion to Liverpool via the Halton Curve. Sat 18 Jun Friends of Far North Line AGM at Mackay‟s Hotel, Wick; buffet lunch & guest speakers. Mon 13 Jun Bexhill Rail Action Group meet at Conquest House, Bexhill from 19:00. Mon 13 Jun Watford Rail Users‟ Group hold an Open Meeting at Watford Town Hall from 18:45. Thu 16 Jun TravelWatch NorthWest conference in the Masonic Hall, Duke St, Southport from 10:30. Sat 18 Jun FoFNL AGM at Mackay‟s Hotel, Wick from 11:45. Sat 18 Jun Railfuture Yorkshire Branch meeting, Hull. Wed 22 Jun Meldreth Shepreth & Foxton RUG meet at Meldreth Manor School from 19:30. Fri 24 Jun ACoRP Community Rail Awards 2011: closing date for entries. Sat 25 Jun Railfuture East Anglia Branch meeting, Ipswich. Sat 9 Jul Railfuture Conference “High Speed Rail”, at Bletchley Park from 11:00. Sat 16 Jul Woodhead Line (30th anniv of closure) events, Manchester, Sheffield & along the route. Thu 21 Jul ACoRP National Station Adoption seminar, Liverpool Thu 21 Jul Mid Cheshire Rail Users‟ Assn. AGM at the Golden Pheasant, Plumley from 19:15. Sat 23 Jul Railfuture London & SE (Kent Division) Branch meeting, Tonbridge Wells. Thu 18 Aug Reopen the Woodhead Line open campaign meeting, Glossop Labour Club from 19:30. Sat 10 Sep Railfuture North West Branch meeting, Kendal. 16-22 Sep European Mobility Week - an awareness raising campaign encouraging the use of public transport, cycling and walking. Thu 22 Sep World Car Free Day – proclaim the alternative to cars! Sat 24 Sep ACoRP Community Rail Festival, incl Gala Dinner & Awards Presentation, Sheffield Sat 29 Oct CSV Make a Difference Day – celebrate the achievements of volunteers! Tue 1 Nov “One Day” (1/1/11) with the theme “Think about and do something sustainable today” (a Start initiative inspired by the Prince of Wales to encourage more sustainable lives). Sat 5 Nov Railfuture Rail Users‟ Conference, Mechanics‟ Institute, Manchester.

More events on the Railfuture and ACoRP websites.

This bulletin has been sent by

Tony Smale, Railfuture Rail User Group Liaison Officer e-mail: [email protected] phone: 01929 462116

Our websites: www.railfuture.org.uk www.railfuturescotland.org.uk www.railfuturewales.org.uk www.railwatch.org.uk The Railway Development Society Limited is a (not for profit) Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered in England and Wales No. 5011634. Registered Office:- 24 Chedworth Place, Tattingstone, Suffolk IP9 2ND

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